Referee Al Marri Abdulla. AFP/VNA Photo

Football

HÀ NỘI — Referee Al Marri Abdulla from Qatar has been appointed as the main official for the match between Việt Nam and Iraq in the second qualifying round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The game is scheduled to take place on November 21 at the Mỹ Đình National Stadium in Hà Nội.

According to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Abdulla will be assisted by Khalaf Khaled and Alshammari Faisal, both from Qatar. Albadowe Ahmad Bin Ahmad from Singapore will serve as the fourth referee for the match.

Abdulla previously served as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during the Vietnamese national team's fixture against Australia in September 2021. The match took place at the Mỹ Đình National Stadium as part of the qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Việt Nam suffered a 1-0 defeat.

Over the past five years, Abdulla has officiated a total of 38 official matches, including three international friendly games, Iceland against Estonia, Sweden against Finland, and Oman against Ecuador.

Abdulla also worked as a VAR referee in the match between Holland's women's team and the Portugal at the 2023 Women's World Cup Final.

In the second qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Việt Nam have been placed in Group F. A total of 36 teams have been divided into nine groups to compete in the second qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Asian region.

The Vietnamese team, led by coach Philippe Troussier, will first play away against the Philippines on November 16 before returning for a home game against Iraq on November 21. Việt Nam will then play an away game against Indonesia on March 21, 2024.

In accordance with the tournament rules, the top two teams from each group will advance to the third round and secure direct qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup. The remaining 18 teams will proceed to participate in the third and final round of qualifiers.

Tickets for the Việt Nam vs Iraq match will be available for online purchase starting from November 7.

Prices for the tickets will range from VNĐ200,000 to VNĐ600,000. VNS